Adjustable slag disintegrating nozzle



Sept. 26, 1961 F. OSBORNE 3,001,724

ADJUSTABLE SLAG DISINTEGRATING NOZZLE Original Filed Dec. 28, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 6a, I INVENT0R.I

67 FRED OSBORNE FIGS ATTORNEYS Sept. 26, 1961 F. OSBORNE 3,001,724

ADJUSTABLE SLAG DISINTEGRATING NOZZLE Original Filed Dec. 28, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. FRED OSBORNE BY M N M El ATTORNEYS Sept. 26, 1961 F. OSBORNE ADJUSTABLE SLAG DISINTEGRATING NOZZLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Dec. 28, 1954 INVENTOR. FRED OSBORNE ATTO RNEVS United States Patent T 2 Claims. (Cl. 239-455) The present invention is concerned generally with apparatus for cellulating molten slag and more specifically with a nozzle for projection of a stream of gaseous medium to disintegrate a falling stream of molten slag into discrete masses for subsequent cellulation.

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 478,137, filed December 28, 1954, now Patent No. 2,928,609, dated March 15 1960. Reference is made to this application for a complete description of the slag cellulating apparatus.

The nozzle of the invention is intended to be mounted for continuous or intermittent operation and is adjustable both as to size and velocity of the stream of gaseous medium to be ejected therefrom. It also provides a mixing chamber in which the main medium may be mixed or modified by another liquid or gaseous medium as desired before ejection from the nozzle outlet.

An object of the invention is to provide a nozzle for attachment to a source of gaseous vapors such as steam or air and to vary the velocity and shape of the stream projected from the nozzle by an adjustable member within the nozzle and adjacent the nozzle discharge outlet opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nozzle having a mixing chamber therein for reception of a liquid or gaseous medium or mediums for mixture before ejection from the nozzle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nozzle of thecharacter described for mounting upon a support for fixed or linear movement relative to the support.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a means for locking the nozzle adjustment mechanism in any desired position of adjustment.

These and other objects of the invention will be made apparent from the specification and the drawing forming a part thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of the nozzle and a support therefor;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the nozzle;

FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through the nozzle of FIG. 2 taken on lines III-4H thereof;

FIG. 3A shows a fragmentary view of FIG. 3 with the slidable nozzle member in extreme extended position Bu;

FIG. 4 shows a transverse section through the nozzle taken on lines IVIV thereof; and

FIG. 5 shows a transverse section through the nozzle of FIG. 2 taken on lines VV thereof.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the nozzle 8 may be mounted upon any suitable form of support such as indicated by the reference character 9. Preferably the nozzle 8 should be mounted for linear movement relative to the support 9 and for this purpose the support 9 is shown as comprising a pair of spaced side walls 10 and 11 extending upwardly from a base 12 and each side wall being suitably reinforced by the ribs 13 and 14. Adjacent their upper ends the side walls 10 and 11 respectively are provided with opposing flanges 15 and 16 between which the nozzle 8 is received. One convenient method for providing linear movement of the nozzle 8 is the provision of a shaft 17 extending between and joumaled in bearings 18 and 19 secured to the side walls Patented Sept. 26, 1961 Ice 10 and 11. Disposed between the walls 10 and 11 and mounted on the shaft 17 in fixed relation thereto is a suitable gear 19 for engagement with a rack member secured to the nozzle as hereinafter discussed. Any suitable means may be provided for rotation of the shaft 17 as by the crank 20 having at one end a portion 21 mounted on the shaft 17 and at the other end a suitable handle portion 22.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 to 5 inclusive showing the detail construction of the nozzle. The nozzle indicated generally by the reference character 8, comprises a generally cylindrical hollow portion 23 comprising a mixing chamber, one side of said chamber 23 being open and having an outwardly tapering extension 24 terminating in a substantially rectangular extending portion 25 provided with an outlet portion 26. As shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing the portions 24, 25 and 26 have a flat bottom wall 27, upwardly extending side walls 28 and a top wall 29 sloping downwardly and outwardly from the longitudinal center line of the nozzle to the side walls 28. The opposite end of the mixing chamber 23 terminates in a cylindrical solid wall 30.

Extending longitudinally of the nozzle portion 25 and partially Within the nozzle portion 24 at the longitudinal center line of the nozzle is a rib 31 depending from the nozzle portion 25 and having a bottom portion of the rib 31 disposed in uniform spaced relation to the inner face of the nozzle bottom wall 27. Mounted upon the inner face of the nozzle bottom wall 27 adjacent the nozzle outlet portion 26 is a substantially rectangular shaped member indicated generally by the reference character 32 having a flat bottom wall 33, a rear wall 34, front wall 35 and a top wall having a portion 36 extending inwardly from the top of rear wall 34 and downwardly inclined portion 37 terminating in a substantially horizontal portion 38 connecting with the end wall 35. At the transverse center line of the member 32 and upon the top wall portion 36 is a lug portion 39 disposed in spaced relation to the underface of rib 31 for movement relative thereto. Element 32 is movable within the nozzle portions 25 and 26 between a maximum retracted position A to a maximum extended position B.

The wall 30 closing the rear of the mixing chamber 23 has an opening 40 therethrough which is counterbored inwardly at 42 from the outer face 43 of the wall and the outer periphery of wall 30 is provided with external threads 44. Rotatably mounted on the nozzle end wall 30 by means of the threads 44 is a hollow cap 45 which may be a standard commercial type cap provided with an opening 46 aligned with the opening 40 in the nozzle end wall 30. Extending through the openings 46 in the cap 45 and the opening 40 in the nozzle end wall 30 is a member 47 having one end fixed in an opening 48 in the wall 34 of the member 32 and the opposite end 49 projecting outwardly from the cap 45. A suitable handle portion 50 being mounted on the end of the member 45 for advancing and retracting the member 45 and attached member 32 Within the nozzle.

Within the counter-bore 42 of the nozzle wall 30 and encircling the member 47 are a plurality of packing rings 51 for prevention of the escape of gaseous fluid within the chamber 23 outwardly of the wall 30 about the member 47. A gland 52 is mounted upon the inner face 53 of the end wall 54 of cap 45 and is provided with a central opening through which the member 47 passes. The outside diameter of gland 52 is such as to have a sliding fit within the counter-bore 42 of the nozzle 30 so as to compress the packing 51 as the cap 45 is advanced onto the nozzle end wall 30. It being noted, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, that the cap 45 has a few remaining threads not engaged with the adjacent nozzle end wall so as to be rotated to advance the cap 45 and gland 52 to compress the packing as it wears due to movement of the member 47. On the outer face of the cap end Wall 54 is a section of a cylindrical member 55 enclosing the member 47 and secured to the cap end wall 54. As shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, a suitable chain 56 attached to the cap 45 has on one end thereof a pin 57 engageable inone of a plurality of spaced openings 58 arranged about the periphery of the member 45. The pin 57 locks the member 47 in fixed relation to the cap 45 and the plurality of radially spaced openings 58 are required to permit insertion of the pin 57 through the opening 58 in the cap and the opening 59 in the member 47 after the cap 45 is rotated relative to the adjacent end of the nozzle.

For admission of fluid or a gaseous medium into the chamber 23 of the nozzle an annular embossment 60 is provided on the outer wall of the nozzle and provided with an opening 61 which opens through the side wall or" the mixing chamber 23. The member '60 is shaped on its outer periphery at 62 for attachment of a flexible steam line in the usual manner. To one side of the embossment 60 is a second embossment 63 on the outer wall of the nozzle 63 and having an internally threaded opening 64 extending through the side wall of the mixing chamber 23 for the purpose of connecting a pipe line for introducing a liquid or another gaseousmedium into the mixing chamber 23.

Extending outwardly of the nozzle 8 beneath the mixing chamber 23 thereof are the lugs 65a and 65b. Secured to the lugs 65 is a section of a rack 67 having suitable counter-sunk openings therein receiving the machine screw 68 attaching the rack bar to the nozzle lugs 65b.

The nozzle 8 as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing is mounted upon its support for inserting the flanges 65c beneath the support flanges 15 with the rack bar 67 in engagement with the pinion 19 rotatably mounted upon the support. When a steam line is secured to the embossment 60 on the valve 8 and steam admitted to the nozzle chamber 23 it passes through the nozzle body sections 24, 25 and 26 to the atmosphere. The steam in passing through nozzle sections 25 and 26 flows over the member 32 on opposite sides of the rib 31 and lug 39 across the top of member 32. The maximum obstruction by member 32 to passage of the stream through nozzle portions 25 is at the top wall 36 of the member 32 and an increasing space for reception of the steam extends from the Wall 36 of the member 32 to the top wall portion 38 of the member. The inner face 29a of the section 25 is in a plane which is angularly' disposed to the plane of the surface 27 of the member 32.

Referring now to FIG. 3 of the drawings, it will be observed that when the member 32 is in the extreme retracted position A, the steam or other gaseous medium flowing over the member .32 is shaped by the inner walls of the nozzle portion 25 into a substantial solid volume presented to the rectangular opening in the nozzle portion 26. When, however, the member 32 is advanced to its extreme outward position B, as shown in FIG. 3A, the volume of steam passing through the outlet opening of the nozzle is defined by the upper face 37 of the member 32 and the face of the Wall 290. From the foregoing it will be apparent that as the member 32 moves from extreme retracted position A to extreme extended position B, the volume of steam being emitted or ejected from the nozzle 8 is constantly being modified by the changein area of the passageway through which the steam passes and consequently with a uniform pressure in the mixing chamber 23 the velocity at which the stream is ejected from the nozzle is constantly changing. In like manner, as the member 32 approaches the nozzle outlet opening and progressively protrudes therethrough the area through which the steam may flow is progressively reducing in area and shape. Furthermore, the projection of the member 32 beyond the outlet end opening of the nozzle will further modify the shape and direction of flow of the ejected steam.

These possible variations in the shape, velocity and volume of the steam being emitted from the nozzle outlet opening is advantageously employed in varying the size of the discrete particles into which the molten slag is broken by impingement of the steam. In such cases, as where the molten slag is of an extremely viscous nature the disrupting force of the steam may be modified by injection of controlled quantities of water or other liquids into the nozzle mixing chamber 23 by means of the inlet opening 64 of the mixing chamber.. It will be obvious that by selected proportioning of the steam and liquid any desirable force can be caused to impinge upon the falling slag for suitable disruption thereof.

By reason of the adjustable mounting of the ejector nozzle upon its support the disruptive force of the ejected stream of steam or combined steam and water can be varied by advancing and retracting the nozzle relative to the falling stream of molten slag.

While the invention has been described in connection with the operation of cellulating molten slag, it is readily apparent that the nozzle With its readily adjustable and mixing features may be adapted to other suitable use wherein an adjustable ejected stream of steam, liquid or any combination thereof may be employed for any suitable purpose.

I claim:

1. An ejection nozzle for projecting an adjustable stream of vapor and mixture of a vapor and liquid under pressure, comprising a mixing and pressurizing chamber for receiving the mediums to be ejected, one end of said chamber being closed by a casing end wall and the other end of the chamber opening into an elongated hollow casing portion terminating in a casing discharge opening remote from said mixing and pressurizing chamber, said elongated casing portion having a bottom wall, side walls and a top wall connecting said side walls, a member depending from said casing top wall in spaced relation to said casing bottom wall and extending inwardly of the casing from adjacent the casing discharge opening, a member extending transversely of said casing to adjacent said side walls and slidably mounted on said casing bottom wall for movement beneath said casing depending member and relative to said casing discharge opening, means connected with said slidably mounted member and extending rearwardly through said mixing and pressurizing chamber wall for selectively positioning said slidable member beneath said casing depending member and relative to said casing discharge opening, said slidable member having a vertically disposed rear portion deflecting flow of vapor upwardly and to opposite sides of said top wall depending member during passage through said casing.

2. The ejection nozzle as definedin claim 1, wherein said slidable member has a forward portion provided with downwardly inclined upper face extendable through said casing discharge opening. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 384,524 Heberer June 12, 1888 1,094,124 Coen Apr. 21, 1914 2,473,933 Ziebinski June 21, 1949 2,589,183 Ziebinski Mar. 11, 1952 

